Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

albatross

/ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.90 in modern English

Syllables
al-ba-tross
IPA
/ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.

noun

Any of various African and Asian pierid butterflies of the genus Appias. Some species of this genus are also known as puffins.

noun

A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole, except a par 3 hole.

noun

A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Uncertain. Probably from Spanish or Portuguese alcatraz (“pelican, gannet, albatross”), probably derived from Arabic الْغَطَّاس (al-ḡaṭṭās, “the diver”) (compare Alcatraz); or from Portuguese alcatruz (“water wheel bucket”), from Arabic الْقَادُوس (al-qādūs), from Ancient Greek κάδος (kádos, “pail, jar”), in reference to the pouch of a pelican. In either case, altered under the influence of Latin albus (“white”). Not derived from modern Arabic قَطْرَس (qaṭras, “albatross”), which is perhaps borrowed from Spanish. For sense development of "burden", see albatross around one’s neck.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: -, alcatraz, غَطَّاس, غ ط س, alcatruz, قادوس

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/
  • British English: /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɒs/

Inflected Forms

albatrosses (plural) albie (alternative)

Phrases

albatross around one's neck Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross black-browed albatross Campbell albatross great albatross Laysan albatross royal albatross snowy albatross

Frequently Paired Words

buzzard bogey par birdie eagle condor ostrich

Synonyms

albatross around one's neck gooney bird gooney goonie mollymawk millstone

Questions

How do you pronounce albatross?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/.
What does albatross mean?
Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.
Where does albatross come from?
It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce albatross

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “albatross”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “albatross”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “albatross” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.